Video: The technology is at least a year away from release, but execs are already imagining its business possibilities

Remember how when the iPhone came out, it quickly became a must-have gadget for high-level execs, who then brought their fancy new phones into work and told the IT staff, "I want to use this now, so figure out a way to support it," and suddenly, the iPhone became a "business machine," like it or not? Well, be warned: CIOs are taking a shine to Google Glass.

Already derided by InfoWorld's Robert X. Cringely as "a justifiable reason for a punch in the face," Google Glass is captivating the minds of CIOs, as they imagine all sorts of business possibilities for the technology. For example, retailers envision a future where simply looking at a product on the shelf brings up a display of all its relevant data. It sounds handy, but on the other hand, there are privacy concerns, not that most execs are likely to let such details distract them from gazing lustily at Google's latest flashy technology.